Little Lights of My Life
by seahorse111
Summary: Ever since the death of Auberdeen, Harriet has been terribly afraid of giving birth herself... but what about when the time for pups finally comes? Will Harriet make it... or be like Auberdeen? T for blood and mentions of death.


**This is a one-shot!**

 **T for blood and mention of death.**

Harriet's POV

It was... just a normal day, as normal as life in a zoo could be, anyway, with the tainted smell of humans everywhere.  
I woke up to feel pains in my belly- scratch that- pure agony.

I dismissed it as hunger- and I suppose I can excuse myself for that, I'd never felt such a sensation before.

I spotted some meat, and padded towards it, only to bump into my mate, Ukrah

The Ethiopian Wolf exhibit was filled with us, but it was large, and even the death of one wolf, Auberdeen, made it feel larger, emptier maybe, but that feeling would pass.

Auberdeen still lived on in her pups though, Zoey and Yari.

Auberdeen had died while giving birth, or of blood loss as some said. I shivered as I remembered rushing to help her, only to slip on her blood, stand up, and stare into cold, lifeless eyes.

I thought of Sarah, who had died long ago, of age, who had rejected her first pup, then warmed up to the next as she realized what she had done, only to outlive that pup as he ate tainted meat.

My mother, an old wolf named Karma approached me.

A look of surprise came across her greying muzzle. "Harriet? So soon?"

I shifted my paws, "what do you mean, 'so soon?'"

Karma gritted her teeth nervously. "You're having pups."

I stumbled backwards, and was about to give a nervous laugh before gasping in agony and falling to the ground.

One of the Keepers spotted me and rushed over to help. "You'll be okay, girl," she soothed.

The Keeper turned around. "Tara, would you mind shooing off the viewers? Harriet's pups are coming, earlier than we thought, too."

Tara's eyes widened. "Sure thing, Uma."

I turned my head away from the departing viewers, no more flash cameras.

The Keeper, Uma, who I understood had some sort of the control over the other Keepers, kneeled down next to me. "You'll be okay, not like..." Her voice trailed off.  
Tara rolled her shocking blue eyes. "That's a first, wolves understand English!"

Uma sighed, "I _know_ that, it's just a... just a..."  
"Habit?" It was Tara.  
"Yeah, a habit."

I threw my head back, half laughter at stupidity of the Keepers, but half in pain.

"You'll be okay! Stop thrashing!"

I felt as though I'd plunged under water, the voices of the Keepers muffled.

"Don't! Die!"

The voice was different this time, a wolfish bark... was it that of a wolf, one that I recognized.  
I looked up, bleary eyed to see a wolf, Ethiopian like the rest of us, though with each step stars were splayed along her path, as they speckled onto her pelt.

"Auberdeen?" I croaked, could it be? She looked so young, and healthy, too, not the old bleeding she-wolf I'd seen only a month ago.  
Her head bobbed lightly, and she stared at me thoughtfully.

I sighed. "I won't don't you worry..."  
Auberdeen's starry form blinked once, then again, flashed me a wolfish smile, and faded away.

"Harriet! Harriet! HARRIET!"

I opened my eyes, first only seeing the roof of the cave, then my eyes flitted to my mate. "I'm fine, what about... my pups?"

Ukrah brightened. "They're just _lovely,_ Harriet! A girl and a boy!"

I dipped my head, "bring them in."

I was taken aback by the sudden croak in my voice, but it was gone a second later as Utah butted my shoulder.

"Look down."

I did as I was told, and sighed, two beautiful pups nursed at my belly, and I used my tail to guide one closer.

"What will you name them?"

I looked up at Ukrah, then down at my pups. "The one with the white around her muzzle..." _Like Auberdeen_ "Her name is Amber."

Ukrah nodded. "In honer of Auberdeen, a noble wolf, she was."

I gave him the signature wolfish smile. "And the boy is..."

"Ow! His teeth are _sharp_!"  
I looked up to see that the boy had wriggled away from me and was biting at Ukrah, searching for milk.

"Chaser."

Ukrah chuckled and shook off Chaser. "It's perfect!"

I guided Chaser back to my belly. "No, _they're_ perfect."

 **That's the end! I'll probably make a seperate story about this, set in the future, with Amber and Chaser as the narrators.**


End file.
